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US attempts to harness power of wind

Alternative energy hub planned for Maine coast, a state some call the Saudi Arabia of wind power.

08 Dec 2011 13:06 GMT

Professor Habib Dagher is building the first offshore wind farm in North America that will float off the coast of Maine - a state that some consider to be the Saudi Arabia of wind power.

Test models have performed well in the laboratory, but the farm's real turbines will need to stand up to the region's bleak weather. If they do work, experts believe that they can generate enough electricity to power the US four times over.

Critics, however, worry that the cost of such a development will be passed on to consumers, as the US has no formal energy policy.